Drapery pleating device



Jan. 29, 1957 A. MOD. HESS DRAPERY PLEATING' DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 17, 1955 FIG.I

FIG.5

INVENTOR.

A. M D. HESS Jan. 29, 1957 DRAPERY PLEATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1955 FIG.I|

INVENTOR. Alexander McD. Hess ATTORNEY sm t United States Patent DRAPERY PLEATING DEVICE Alexander McDonald Hess, Jamaica, N. Y.

Application June 17, 1955, Serial No. 516,230

9 Claims. (Cl. 160-348) This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 449,456, filed August 12, 1954, for Drapery Pleating Device, now abandoned.

This invention relates to pleating, especially the pleating of draperies.

Those familiar with the art of pleating draperies are well aware that there is what is known as the French pleat which is of such a form that it must be made by a professional, or at least, by a highly skilled person.

This professional French pleat requires a vertical line of sewing at the Spring line of the pleat and a horizontal line of sewing at the base of the pleat. This horizontal line of sewing is the device by which the pleat is given the pinched effect.

Quite a few devices have been offered housewives to enable the inexperienced to imitate the professionally made pleat. These devices include specially constructed and marked tapes to attach to the upper edge of a drapery, and pleating devices, which perhaps present several prongs, to be inserted in pockets formed on the tape attached to one side of the drapery. None of these devices results in a pleat which closely imitates the professionally formed pleat. All of them appear to depart from the professionally formed pleat especially in the lack of the pinched elfect at the bottom of the pleat, that is, the effect given by the horizontal line of sewing.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a tape which may be attached at the top of or adjacent the top edge of a drapery together with a body having prongs or finger-like members for engagement with pockets on the tape whereby folds, forming pleats, may be maintained in a drapery and the folds be given a pinched together effect at the base thereof.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

'In describing the invention in detail and the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings and the several views thereon, in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a drapery illustrating pleats formed therein by means of my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of a pleating tape forming part of my invention.

Figure 3 is a somewhat perspective view of a pronged body with attaching hook forming part of my invention.

Figure 4 is a view of the tear or back side of a drapery with my pleating tape as shown by Figure 2 in place thereon and two of the pockets engaged, as indicated by a short and long prong of a body such as illustrated by Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of Figure 1 on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the device as shown ice by Figure 3 on the plane indicated by the line 6-6 viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line.

Figures 7 through 12 are corresponding views of a modified form of the invention.

In the drawings, numeral 1 designates a drapery, suitable for a window or door-way or other opening, to which my invention has been applied so as to produce pleats at three separate points. The particular form shown com prises three pleat groups P, PA, PE which each includes five apices, that is 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. These apices may be quite sharp when first formed, but in time may well bag out or sag so as to be much less sharp.

It will be noted that the pleats of the drapery of Figure 1 have a pinched-together effect at 13. This is to simulate the well known professional French pleat.

In order to produce the pleating as shown in Figure 1, I provide a tape 15 of -a suitable or appropriate material such as a textile material as buckram or comparable material such as plastic appropriate for sustaining the weight of a heavy drapery by means of prongs as will be hereinafter described.

The pleating tape 15 can be formed with receptacles or the like for receiving prongs or finger-like members or the like. These receptacles may well take the form of pockets such as 17, 19, 21 and 23. These receptacles or pockets may be attached to or formed in the textile material by any appropriate or usual method as by sewing. A suitable way would be to sew supplementary pieces along lines such as 25 and 27 to the tape 15 and to also sew along the upper end as at 29 so as to form a stop for a prong inserted in the pocket.

For the purposes of my invention, I desire to have what I :call long pockets, as 17 and 23, and short pockets, as 19 and 21. The short pockets should be formed the same way as the long pockets, although the top opening should not be closed by sewing.

Two long pockets and two short pockets comprise a group and these groups are distributed at: predetermined intervals along the tape 15. The interval between the groups determines the interval between groups of pleats, that is, between pleat groups P, PA, PB.

The separation of the long pocket from the short pocket and the distance between the short pockets determines the distance to which the pleats extend outwardly from the drapery at the top, that is, the distance from the center of pocket 17 to the center of pocket 19 determines the distance to which an apex, as 3, extends outwardly, and the distance between the short pockets as 19 and 21 determines the distance the apex 7 extends outwardly.

It is desired to have the folds which converge at 5 and 9 in Figure l shorter than the long side or blank of the fold of which 3 is the apex. In order to do this, the distance between a long pocket as 17 and a short pocket as 19 is made up of a long distance 31 and a short distance 33. The dotted line 35 represents the apex, such as 5 of Figure l.

The short distance 33 is repeated twice between short pocket 19 and short pocket 21 as by 37 and 39, the dotted line 41 representing the apex 7 as shown in Figure l.

A short distance 43 then extends to the dotted line 45 representing the apex 11 of Figure l, and then there is a long distance 47 corresponding to the long distance 31. The short distances 33, 37, 39 and 43 are all preferably of the same length.

The distance from the center of pocket 23 to the center of pocket 17A, that is,,the distance between the extreme adjacent pockets of adjacent groups can be as desired depending upon the extent of separation of the several groups of pleats.

The bottom or lower ends of the pockets are in the same horizontal line.

In Figure 3, I have illustrated a pronged pleat former 50. This pronged pleat former comprises two relatively long fingers or prongs 51 and 53 and two relatively short prongs 55 and 57. The pleat former 50 also includes a supporting hook 59 which is intended to be passed through a suitable supporting member for supporting the drapery as a ring 61 on ,a torus 63 adapted to embrace a supporting pole or rod '65.

The short prongs 55 and 57 are positioned forwardly of the plane of the long prongs and are brought closely together at the lower ends as at 67 and the short prongs 55 and 57 have their free ends 69 and 71 slightly flared to enable them to more easily be slipped into the short pockets.

"he long prongs 51 and 53 are inserted .into the long pockets i7 and 23 respectively. The short prongs as 55 and 57 go into the short pockets l9 and. 2-1 respeo tively. The entrance of a long prong, as 51, into a long pocket 17, and the entrance of a short prong, as 55, into a short pocket 19 is illustrated in Figure 4. Figure 4 also illustrates the forming of an outside pleat or flank pleat 73. The long pleat springs from the line '75 about central of the pocket 17 and the apex 3 corresponds to apex 3 of Figure l, :and apex 5 corresponding to an apex 5 of Figure l is centered on the center of a short pocket 19.

if the other long prong 53 were placed in the pocket 23 and the other short prong 57 were placed in the short pocket M, then the drapery would fall into folds so that the line 7 would correspond to apex 7 of Figure l and the line 9 would correspond to the apex 9 of Figure l and the line '11 would correspond to the apex ll of Figure l.

The completely formed French Pleat" is well shown in Figure 5 in which the apices 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 correspond to the apices 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 of the pleat of PA of Figure l.

The narl'ow elongated tape may be attached to the drapery It in any suitable or appropriate manner prefcrably covering a zone ending at the upper edge. It may be attached as by sewing along the line 5 and along the line $7, or it may be attached adhesively in a well known manner.

T he unskilled housewife may, by the use of my pleating devices, easily form French pleats or pinch pleats in a drapery and hang the same so as to quite well simulate a custom made professional work. The housewife merely has to obtain a suflicient length of the tape 15' and suflicient number of the prong supporting members and she can easily and expeditiously form and hang her drapery as illustrated in Figure 3. have the appearance of the professional sewing of the professionally formed pleat and also the appearance of the horizontal sewing of the professionally formed pleat. Furthermore, the intermediate folds having the apices, as S and 9, as shown in Figure i, being only supported at the bottom and closely adjacent thereto are free to sag or fall out just as do the professionally formed corresponding pleats. In prior devices they included prong members for inserting in pockets to support pleats but the prongs were all of the same length extending substantially to the top of the pleat. By extending all of the prongs to the top of the pleat, the object, that is, the simulation of the professionally formed French pleat was defeated, because in that pleat the inner fold or apices corresponding to 5 and 9 of Figure l are not supported at the top and therefore have a softer effect than are folds which rigidly supported at the top. Furthermo e, my short prongs 55' and 57 are brought very close together at the bottom so as to enhance the ability to get the pinchcd-in eifect at the bottom of the pleats, that is, at the point 13 as in Figure 1. Prior devices of the same sort have been built upon the parallel relation substantially throughout so that the pinched-in effect at the point it?) has not been obtained, or if not parallel, the prior devices have had all the prongs in the same plane.

Her drapery will My short prongs are not the same plane as the long prongs, so the pinched-in effect extends out beyond the general face of the drapery just as do the professionally formed pleats.

The relation of prongs 55 and 57 is such that when even one of them is placed in a pocket, the material of the drapery or tape is pinched between the prongs so that the pronged pleat former will not thereafter accidentally separate from the drapery, even if the drapery is carelessly or roughly handled. The pronged pleat former is preferably made of somewhat springy material in order to enhance the elfect of the short prongs.

it should be further observed that the use of a pleat former having both long and short prongs greatly facilitates the positioning of the prongs in the pockets, as the long prongs are quite well entered before it is necessary to direct the short prongs into pockets.

The long prongs provide the vertical stiffness simulat- .ing vertical stitching and the short prongs produce the pinched effect at the bottom of the pleats simulating horizontal sewing.

The positioning of the prongs in two planes enables the interior pleats to be made with less material than if all the prongs were in one plane. This construction also avoids the cartridge pleat effect and gives a'closer simulation of a true French pleat.

To obtain the advantage of saving of material in the drape 1 and in the tape 15, it is not necessary that any of the prongs 51, 53, 55, 57 be shorter than any other, as the saving of material derives from the prongs 55, 57, being located in a plane displaced forwardly of the plane of prongs 51, 53.

Such a construction is illustrated in Figures 7 through 12. Such construction is identical to that of Figures 1 to 6, except as noted herewith. The tape 15A has the pockets 17B, 19B, 21B, 23B, all of equal height. The pleat former A has the rear fingers 51A, 53A and fingers 55A, 57A located forwardly of and equal in height to the rear fingers. Forward fingers 55A, 57A are flared outwardly from each other, having the flaring portions 56A, 58A located near the bottom ends thereof. The operation of the modified construction is identical to that of the construction of Figures 1 to 6, however, the pleat former 50A due to the fingers thereof being of equal height, is not as convenient to insert in the pockets as the former 50 having both long and short fingers, as previously described. It is also true that because the long forward fingers 55A, 57A support the inner apices 5B, 98 more rigidly than the short fingers 55, 57 support apices 5 and 9, the apices 5B, 9B will not bag or sag forwardly to such a marked degree.

Although I have particularly described two particular physical embodiments of my invention and explained the construction and principle thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the forms selected are merely illustrative, but do not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A drapery pleating device, including, in combination, a tape adapted for attachment to a drapery in a zone ending at the upper edge, said tape formed with spaced groups of pockets, said groups comprising two relatively long pockets, one at each end of each group, and two relatively short pockets positioned intermediate each pair of long pockets and spaced from each other, prong bodies, one for each group, each prong body including two relatively long parallel prongs and two relatively short prongs, said relatively short prongs being disposed forwardly of the plane of the long prongs and said short prongs being flaring at then free ends and close together at their opposite ends, and a rod hook attached to said prongs adjacent their base and projecting rearwardly of said long prongs, said long pockets adapted to receive said long prongs and said short pockets adapted to receive said short prongs whereby the drapery to which the tape is attached is pleated at intervals, said pleats exhibiting a pinched-in effect at their base simulating a custom made professional pleat and the long prongs imparting a vertical sewing appearance.

2. A pleating tape of textile material formed as a narrow elongated strip, pocket groups disposed at intervals along the tape, each group comprises two relatively long pockets and two relatively short pockets, one of the said relatively long pockets being positioned at one end of each group and the other of the said relatively long pockets being positioned at the other end of each group, the relatively short pockets being positioned intermediate the long pockets and separated one from the other, one end of all long pockets being closed and the other end open, the open ends being all positioned at the same distance from one edge of the strip.

3. A pleating device, formed with two relatively long parallel prongs, and two relatively short parallel prongs, said short prongs being positioned forwardly of the plane of the long prongs, said short prongs being flared at their free ends and close together at their opposite ends and a suspending hook projecting rearwardly of the long prongs and attached thereto.

4. A pleating device, formed of springly material and with two relatively long parallel prongs, and two relatively short parallel prongs, said short prongs being positioned forwardly of the plane of the long prongs, said short prongs being flared at their free ends and so close together at their opposite ends that one thickness of drapery material therebetween will be securely held and a suspending hook projecting rearwardly of the long prongs and attached thereto.

5. A pleating device, formed of springly material and with two relatively long parallel prongs, and two relatively short parallel prongs, said short prongs being positioned forwardly of the plane of the long prongs, said short prongs being flared at their free ends and close together at their opposite ends and a suspending hook projecting rearwardly of the long prongs and attached thereto.

6. A drapery pleating device according to claim 1, the distance between a long pocket and the adjacent short pocket being greater than the distance between said two short pockets.

7. A pleating tape according to claim 2, the distance between a long pocket and the adjacent short pocket being greater than the distance between said two short pockets.

8. A pleating device, formed of springy mateiial and having a first pair of substantially parallel prongs and a second pair of substantially parallel prongs, said second pair of prongs being positioned forwardly of the plane of said first mentioned pair, the prongs of said second pair being flared at their free ends and further being so close together at their inner ends that one thickness of drapery material therebetween will be securely held, and a suspending hook projecting rearwardly of said first mentioned pair of prongs and attached thereto.

9. A pleating device, formed of springy material and having a first pair of substantially parallel prongs and a second pair of substantially parallel prongs, said second pair of prongs being positioned forwardly of the plane of said first mentioned pair, the prongs of said second pair being flared at their free ends and further being close together at their inner ends, and a suspending hook projecting rearwardly of said first mentioned pair of prongs and attached thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

